San Mateo is hit by rash of nighttime home burglaries

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A rash of rare nighttime burglaries has San Mateo police asking residents to keep their houses secure — even when they’re home.

Houses on the 500 block of Fairfax Avenue were targeted during the early-morning hours of Friday.

In all three cases, residents discovered that motion-sensing lights and security alarms were tripped. In two cases, residents heard rustling noises in their back yards and found gates open or window screens damaged, according to police.

Nothing was stolen, police said.

Although police have taken forensic evidence from each scene, they do not have a suspect description at this time, according to Lt. Mike Brunicardi.

Also, on the night of July 12, an 18-year-old resident of a house at the 300 block of North Humboldt Street was watching television at roughly 11 p.m. when she heard noises from her bedroom.

She found a suspect in the room, lying down as though he were doing push-ups, according to Brunicardi. When discovered, the suspect — described as a shirtless male in his 30s with short spiked black hair — fled through the window, and police failed to track him down, Brunicardi said.

"At this point, we have no reason to believe what occurred on North Humboldt Street is related to what occurred on Fairfax Avenue," Brunicardi said in a press statement. "However, no possibilities are being eliminated until the suspects are identified."